


The Fisherman and the Mermaid

by Littlenaga



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Dark, Human!Ivan, M/M, Mer!Alfred, general lore, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-06-28
Packaged: 2018-02-06 14:59:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1862130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlenaga/pseuds/Littlenaga
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was playing a dangerous game, both Ivan and him. He knew it too. Alfred could not tell, or really cared, whether or not Ivan knew the extent of their taboo. <br/>“Triton,” He muttered. “I’ve done something stupid.” His breath shook slightly as he laughed quietly to himself. “Oh, I’m a disease aren’t I?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A deal

         “What’d you come back here for?” Ivan shrugged noncommittally as the magical sea creature before him began to look annoyed. He wore fine jewelry probably foraged from sunken ships, had a shimmering tail, iridescent cerulean eyes, and thicker human-like skin and body from the waist up. Strange fin-like appendages also jutted out from his arms.

        “You’re lying.” He narrowed his eyes at the fisherman and splashed a strong wave of salt water directly at his face which sent the man reeling back into his small dingy boat. 

The boat tilted dangerously to one side as the merman gripped the side and launched himself up and over the edge of the boat with a burst from his strong tail. For a fish out of water, he moved pretty fast and was on the still stunned man in a fraction of a second. 

  
            “Tell me the truth if you still value your pitifully short life. Why. Are You. Here.” The question came out as a command and Ivan shuddered. The blue creature bared his fangs to show that he meant business and wouldn’t be toyed with. Alfred really wasn’t in the mood for games today. The frightened young man looked at his fangs warily before finally deciding it in his best interest to just give a straight answer. 

  
            “I know you can grant wishes.” He blurted out strongly, almost accusatory in tone.   
            “Oh?” Alfred pulled back from his captive so he had room to lean up on his elbows. He flipped himself over so he had his back resting against his old friend’s rags-for-clothes with his long streamlined tail splayed out between Ivan’s legs. He had turned from pressing and murderous to relaxed and mischievous.

            “You want wishes, boy? But you see, I don’t grant wishes.” Ivan could hear the quotation marks around the word wishes. “Like a Scottish man once told me, if only wishes were fishes, Ivan, my dearest. But no, I only strike bargains, deals, contracts, call them whatever you want but, trust me, they are nowhere near wishes.”

  
            He reached back to brush his hand across Ivan’s face; feeling the smoothness of his youth and the slight stubble as a new fisherman’s mark. He’d waited so long to do this. Everything was so dry. So weird. It intrigued him and he continued to run his hand over the skin in amusement.   
            Ivan made a face at that. “Bargains? I have nothing to offer you. I have nothing but half a barrel of fish and this dingy vessel to my name.” 

            “Of course… there are creatures that do give wishes. But often give them out knowing that it will inevitably lead to evil and self-destruction. Sneaky little things. Wishing fish, deep sea lamps that wash ashore. But you don’t want any of that I’m sure.” Suddenly he stilled, seemingly listening for something before returning to what he was doing prior. His hands traveled higher into Ivan’s pearly hair that was damp with sweat and seawater.   
            “Wow, your hair gets wet so easily. That must be a pain in the neck. Anyway, I’m a business man in a way. Not a wish-giver. It’s amazing how many people are misled by language.”   
            “But you can do magic right?” Ivan inquired as the merman pinched his cheek rather painfully, gasping at the immediate red flush.   
            “The skin is so sensitive. Where do you get your information from? Of course I can do magic! I’m a magical creature!” He let out a long string of strange raucous laughter. He knew Ivan was getting annoyed which only made everything all the more amusing to him. 

  
            “Wait. What’s that smell?” Alfred lifted his nose to the air and began sniffing at the air. “No.” He sniffed closer and closer to Ivan. “Mm mm… It’s you! Well, actually you smell pretty awful. It’s something on you isn’t it? What are you hiding from me human?”   
Ivan shifted uncomfortably as Alfred hovered over him with a shining curiosity in his blue Pacific eyes.

            “Nothing that interests you.”   
            “Give it to me, or I will take it from you.” Alfred grabbed handfuls of Ivan’s rags and pulled them close so their heads were touching. His eyes almost painfully close to the human beneath him who was struggling not to go cross-eyed at the painful proximity. Alfred’s eyes narrowed and he hissed lowly in his throat.

            “Be that way.” He spat. He pushed the man back into the hollow in the boat before shredding Ivan’s clothing with a few critically aimed swipes; hooked claws extended. Ivan screamed and recoiled to protect himself; genuinely afraid for his life. His old uncle had warned him about merfolk and their mercurial tempers. He had to keep calm or Alfred wouldn’t take a second thought in killing him for fun. Shallow scratch marks appeared as an afterthought, blood slightly building up under them and seeping out.   
            “Hmmm… not there…” Alfred grinned wickedly before flipping himself back into the water with a loud splash, his tail disappearing and blending like food coloring into the waves.   
The world went quiet, save for the occasional slap of the gentle waters that licked at Ivan’s wooden boat.

             He went to reach for his oar and was surprised to find nothing there. An old, cold tendril of fear curled its way into his heart. In a panic, he paced in the small space that his wooden boat permitted him. That fish had taken the oar! He looked out towards the docks that seemed so small. He was old enough to know that the current would sweep him out to open ocean if he didn’t have anything to propel himself back. This was his worst fear happening all over again. He was a weak swimmer so he wouldn’t be able to swim without drowning in his efforts. As a child he had been taken by the waves once. To this day he didn’t know how he’d survived at sea for so long. He couldn’t relive that. Nightmares plague him for years and into his adulthood. He couldn’t take it. Breaths became wispy, quick and rapid. He needed to get on land. NOW. 

            “Alfred!” He screamed, voice breaking. “Alfred this isn’t funny! I need my oar! ALFRED! ALFRED! …ALFRED! ALFRED! ” He stopped screaming to catch his breath which kept evading him.   
            How pathetic, Alfred mused from his spectating beneath the waves. The human chokes on his own tears. Just a decade ago, he remembered the ashen-haired child do the same. In fact, he didn’t seem much of an improvement from the little boy he’d saved from the ocean’s clutches on a whim. A shame he still hadn’t learned how to swim properly; hanging on too tightly to old demons. He looked at the long oar that he clutched in his hands. It was old, probably a family heirloom of sorts. Strange carvings in a language that was unfamiliar to him carved all along the handle and even beginning to collect on the paddle. He let it go and watched as the thicker paddle end began to float back upwards toward the sparkling surface of the water. He grabbed the end before it could resurface. Ivan didn’t deserve this quite yet.   
            Ivan had quieted; the saltier tears diminishing until they stopped coming altogether. He could feel himself slipping farther and farther from land. His tiny vessel being goaded further and further away by the current’s will. He had to swim. Alfred was probably already bored with him. Probably left him here to die. This would be the second time except this time there wasn’t a passing sailor to come and get him. Somehow he felt a strange sense of mortality and hurt. Not like the hurt that came from the prim scratches on his chest. He sighed. Ivan knew full well that wishes were a tricky business.

  
            The sun was beginning to hang shallowly over the ocean. A beautifully orange display, had it not been for his horrible one-way situation. He knew what he had to do. If Alfred was still around he would probably come for his personal treasure.

  
            He slipped his hand deep into his pocket to pull out a large sapphire ring he’d been wanting to use for his wish; wiping any tear tracks on dirtied sleeves on a second-thought. It was a strange gem secured by yellow gold straps. When he held it up to the light the sun’s rays would refract in such a way so that it seemed there were giant rolling waves inside, even when he held it still. Even in the dimmest of starlight it shone faintly, all shades of blue swirling together like the sea and its foam. An enchanted object. He’d had it ever since he was young when he found it on the sandy shores; seemingly asking for him to take it. Priceless to anyone who knew its worth. Alfred probably smelled the magic on him. Carefully, he slid it onto his middle finger and leaned in to take a smell; nose wrinkling when he only smelled his own salt-skin. He himself didn’t hold the ability of course but his uncle’s tales were anything but tales. They were fact. He stood up before abruptly tripping forward as his boat violently jerked sideways. 

            “Ah!” He cried out as the boat capsized out of nowhere and his body was slammed into the water. Saltwater stung his eyes and shot up into his nose burning his airways. He didn’t know which way to swim and swallowed another searing, salty mouthful of stale seawater in his haste. He felt so weak and powerless, the darkness of the surrounding water blinding him. He worked his arms and limbs tirelessly. Kicking against the ocean and all its might. He must’ve kicked for hours, days on the minute. Muscles gradually drowning in acid and slowing. Lungs gradually caving in. Eyes gradually closing against the sting of salt. 

  
            He gasped one last time, lips forming one silent word, both dread and sea water took up his lungs to the brim. The last thing he saw being the slightly glowing ring that pointed from his outstretched arm to the surface of the ocean. It reflected orange light into his darkening eyes. So far away… 

  
            Alfred pumped his tail rapidly, a jet stream following behind him as he circled Ivan. Hopeless. His human really was hopeless. At least he wasn’t dead yet. He sighed in defeat. He made sure to push enough magic into Ivan to preserve his half-drowned, unconscious state.   
            “You owe me, buddy.” He remarked as he swished around the man again. It’s a true shame he can’t look so peaceful all the time. He stared for a while longer at his restful face, eyes surveying his form from head to toe; lingering on the sapphire ring that he tried to snuff out earlier.   
            “Ah, I see. Trying to bargain with my gifts now? Didn’t you like it? I left it there on purpose. You were such a cute child back then. Well, I guess I should probably take you to the surface now, huh? If yes, nod. If no, don’t say a thing.” Alfred waited eagerly and Ivan’s body did nothing but bob a little in the ocean current. 

  
            “That’s what I like to hear! Or, rather, not hear.” Alfred giggled to himself. “Sadly my magic can only subdue you for so long. Sentient creatures are less adept at being strung along. Even if it is in their best interests. And…” He swam close enough to grab under his arms and secure his half-dead cargo. “Maybe I was too cruel. I forgot how mentally and physically fragile humans are.” Alfred mused to himself as he began swimming off to a Marooner’s island that he particularly favored. He hugged Ivan close-almost nuzzling his catch. 

  
            This was nice, he decided. He’d been rather lonely without any other merfolk to communicate with in the harbor. Really, he never thought he’d sink to a siren’s level. Spiriting away men and women alike. Though he supposed saving someone’s life acquitted him.  
He reminisced back to when the harbor was full of merfolk of all kinds; traveling from all regions to experience the nice tropical waters. They left when the port was built long ago, complaining about how noisy the ships were and how the fish and other animals weren’t as plentiful. He would have left too if he weren’t stupid enough to give a human one of his treasures; especially one enchanted with his own magic signature.   
            How that little purple-eyed boy had wriggled his way into his cold heart was beyond him.   
            As the bottom of the island came into sight he sliced through the water. His muscles were getting tired due to the drag from carrying such a heavy load and he was unused to such a massive displacement of weight.  
            He gasped as he broke the surface of the water; excess water expelling out of the gills positioned just under his chest and offset to the sides. They closed up afterwards-nearly becoming invisible against his skin. Switching between gills and lungs were a pain. He grimaced as he remembered choking on water or air when he did something wrong.   
Ivan’s body thumped dully on the semi-wet sand. Alfred followed after, laying down beside him.   
            Ivan still wasn’t breathing. His body oddly still. Oh, right, he had to take off the preservation seal.   
            “3…2…1…”   
            Ivan’s eyes snapped open before closing as they stung bitterly. He felt like vomiting and he couldn’t breathe. He gasped several times without any air getting into his waterlogged lungs. His diaphragm kept convulsing to try and force up the water.  
            He gurgled as salt water travelled back up his airways and he leaned to the side to let it run out of his mouth. At least a gallon of foaming water must have been rid of into the sand before he felt he could breathe again, though it pained his lungs and throat.   
He caught his breath before dry heaving and hurriedly repositioning himself so his arms were holding him up and his head was hung close to the ground. He had his mouth open wide as occasionally rivulets of spit and saltwater ran down. He heaved again; this time getting another stream to come up and out of his gaping mouth.   
            His elbows were buried in the beach, and he rested his heavy head on the sandy shore still breathing through his open mouth. He closed his eyes until he saw stars as a wave of nausea ran over him and banged loudly in his eardrums.   
He didn’t even move as a foreign hand came up to rub his back; soothingly accompanied by a sweet voice that he couldn’t hear beyond faint muffled humming. All the water that clogged his ears began to hurt.   
            Alfred cooed softly as he tried to comfort Ivan; though he had to say, it was never his forte.   
            “There, there, you’re fine. You should probably drink some water though- you seem kind of dehydrated.” He sighed as Ivan didn’t move. Instead, Ivan began groaning lowly and tried to bury his head deeper into the sand. What miserable sounds came from such an overgrown beast.   
            It’s a good thing water was his element. With a few professional flicks of his hand a small stream of water floated out of the ocean, manifesting in a strange blob that he willed towards him. Freshwater. Free of salt and impurities. A neat trick he learned by himself.   
He let it hover between himself and Ivan; who he wasn’t sure was still lively at all.   
Plunging his hand into the makeshift reservoir he cupped a neat sphere of water just large enough to fit comfortably in his palm. Oh, how he loved the aesthetics.   
            “Get up, human. It’s too much trouble to come close to you when I’ve got this cumbersome tail.” Alfred only got a significantly louder groan in response.  
            Ivan sluggishly unfurled himself from his current position and slump back, accidentally knocking into Alfred and half-falling on his tail.  
            “Ow! My tail!” Alfred winced. His tail was more sensitive when dry. He quickly pulled some saltwater out of the ocean and covered his lower half; soothing it without regards to Ivan.    

 “Ah, enthusiastic are we?” Alfred laughed as his little human just made a disgruntled noise as water got sloshed on him. He still didn’t move however.  
After the whole tail fiasco was done with, he finally put the freshwater in his left hand to good use; bringing it near Ivan’s lips until they just touched to break the surface tension. Slowly but surely, the water began to disappear down the exhausted man’s throat. Ivan sighed as he took in the last sip.  His mouth was parted, letting out soft pants from not pausing for enough breath in between intake of drink. 

  
            “Is there a reason,” Ivan paused to wet his lips; displeased to know that they still tasted of salt and acrid vomit. “…why you saved me?”   
            Alfred shrugged in response looking at the waves that lapped at the beaches edge, receding each time. “What can I say, I love playing hero. I want to hear your bargain too, if you can still speak after being forced to swallow the sea.” Alfred replied, quite smug with himself.   
            Ivan promptly remembered the ring and lifted his left hand, pleased to see that it still rested on his middle finger. It glimmered lightly like the stars.   
            “My uncle is very sick. I want to trade this ring for his health.”   
Alfred smiled, to his own chagrin. A selfless act! He could have laughed. How very typical of Ivan’s character. “A noble deed indeed. I must decline.”   
            “What!” Ivan scrambled to sit up on all fours. His face a mixture of disbelief and… Was that sorrow?  
            “Please, he’s dying! You said it was a noble act yourself; how could you refuse? This ring is magic itself! Surely that is enough? Please, Alfred, I need to save him. He is the only family I have left and if he goes I will have nothing.” There was evidence of tears in his eyes but he was too dehydrated for any to fall, so he sobbed dryly to the cold merman. Grieving to the merman, beseeching the merman who looked even a few years below his own age.   
            The half-man, half-fish grinned wickedly, realizing his mistake. “Humans really are as selfish as I thought. You only want to save your uncle to save yourself. You did not come when your mother passed on.

  
            You did not come when your big sister was killed with cold steel. You did come when your little Sonya was down with pneumonia, but only because you cherished her the most. And now, you come when the last person who ever cared for you is on his last limb because you are afraid, Ivan. You are afraid of what will happen when no one can offer you that old love that you hold so dear. You are pathetic. A fool .” Alfred’s words became bitterer as he became green with jealousy. And what of him? What of Alfred? His savior? The creature who not only saved his sorry self not once, but multiple times. Who gave him the Ring of Ocean’s bride? How dare he try to return something that he gifted him and ask for more in return.

            Alfred felt an unfamiliar feeling bubble up in him and catch in his throat. He let out a wail like a creature dying and began pounding the ground around him with his fist and tail. The saddest and most painful sound of a heart being struck down, cold and unfeeling as it was.  
Ivan fell back in horror as he saw the beautiful creature in front of him grow fragmented in distress.


	2. A Beautiful Seal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred flies into a rage but a deal is struck. The fairness of it all is unfair.

“You cheat!” He roared, teeth like daggers bared as he snarled. His usually beautiful face became tainted with deformity- some unsettling emotion seeping into his features. His body was unaccustomed to the roughness of the land but he was able to pin Ivan down to the sand in his shock.

            Ivan cried out as the creature was suddenly above him; jaws snapping and claws digging deep into flesh drawing blood. He screamed, eyes full of panic as he tried anything to get away. He kicked at whatever he could and punched and shoved in futility. “Stop it! Unhand me now!” He screamed- his voice high with panic and hysteria. It was useless, all this struggling. Alfred was far stronger than him but he’d be damned if he didn’t try and at least claw his disgustingly blue eyes out. 

            Alfred did stop. His face regaining some of its humanity and his teeth becoming slightly less terrifying. “I don’t grant wishes.” [MK1] He seethed.

            A loud smack rang across the island as he slapped Ivan with enough force to knock his head back.

“Ow!”

“Shut up.” Alfred’s demeanor became cool and calculating. He locked his eyes onto Ivan’s unusually violet ones that were dilated like the pupils of hatchet fish. Limbs shaking whether from fear or the cold Alfred wasn’t sure. His chest rose and fell at a breakneck pace though it was slowly calming down like the large amounts of breath running from his mouth. But, he was relaxing. The slap seemed to change something in him. How queer.

He looked like prey. Alfred felt a strange cross between wanting to eat him or take pity on him. Maybe hurt him again. His inner sadist was probably rolling around in the current right now- the impulse wasn’t that strong. He sighed. Honestly, he loved to play hero maybe a bit too much…

His mind was made up. He rolled off the poor creature- still stunned. Humans always seemed more resilient than this but, he wouldn’t complain for now. It only made what he was about to do easier. On second thought, it might have also been the saltwater and physical stresses. Or, perhaps Ivan was going through some type of mental shock? Humans suffered so many ailments it is amazing they made it as a species. Ironic since he retained some of their traits.

His tail might dry out if he slept on land. The sun had set below the horizon now. The sky became blue-nearly black- to mirror the sea. Usually he didn’t spend so much time on land in one sitting. It was taxing his body. It was unusual to feel so dry. He stared at Ivan again who seemed to be able to grasp reality. It was dark so he wasn’t quite sure.

“Can I go home now?” Ivan murmured. Ah, normality. He bounces back quickly.

“No, silly boy. Your home is here for the time being. You are repaying your debt with me. I have waited far too long for any compensation.” Alfred grimaced. He didn’t like forcing bargains onto people but, he also didn’t like waiting. He cursed himself on the inside. He felt no better than a siren. Possibly even worse. At least the sailors that sirens lulled to their deaths have a small amount of choice in the matter. He was cornering Ivan. That didn’t rest well with him. Cold as he was; he had some semblance of morality.

“What! No, no, no. I owe you nothing. Take me back to my uncle.” Ivan felt the confidence in his voice expire as Alfred shot him a glare that could freeze death itself. He should be more respectful probably. He didn’t want to be eaten. What a horrible way to go. “Please, Alfred. I need to see him.” He pleaded. “He is ill. I have to at least leave him in the care of another.” From his many years of knowing Alfred he knew one thing, if he could appeal to his logical side he could get what he wanted. While Alfred was considerably ancient in human years he still could be easily persuaded if you had a smooth tongue. Comparatively, Ivan’s tongue was the finest Chinese silk.

“I suppose… you could visit him tomorrow. If it would put your mind at ease then I will settle it. But, only if you swear to come back here afterwards. I’m pretty generous so I will not add that to your existing debt.” Alfred grinned cheekily, though Ivan couldn’t quite see it with his poor night vision. Alfred’s silhouette shifted closely. Too closely.

_What debt?_ Ivan wanted to say but, he bit his tongue for the time being. He’d just never come back to sea after Alfred dropped him off. After all, Alfred was as clumsy as a sea turtle on land. He couldn’t force him to do anything. He’d find another job. He didn’t want to be a fisherman all his life anyways.

“So, what do you say? Is this a deal?”

_Magical creatures are tricky_. Ivan knew he had to be careful. One wrong move and he could consider his freedom gone. He could always just escape right? That’s what many law breakers do. Commit a crime in one country; escape to another. It was commonplace. He still felt something eating as his mind. Maybe something ancient and instinctual. But, if he said no, he would possibly never get the chance again.

“Deal.” He said uncertainly. It unnerved him greatly that he couldn’t see Alfred’s face. It was like he was sealing his fate to some darkness that only existed in malicious silhouettes and opaque lightless air. A kind of paranoia overtook him. His uncle’s supernatural fears were inherent.

Suddenly, electricity coursed through him; stinging his heart and wracking his brain with headache--nearly knocking him down. The pain left as quickly as it came leaving him short of breath.

“What did you do to me?” He got out between pants. Every once in a while, aftermath shocks ran through his arms and legs. He gritted his teeth and tensed with each passing. A wave of nausea took him by surprise and he slumped against something firm and pliable. Alfred ran his fingers through his sandy hair- soothing him mockingly. Humming to him. Shushing him.

“What did you do?” He rasped. His entire body was burning. It was nearly unbearable. Accompanied with the nausea, he felt like vomiting out his guts.

“The real question, Ivan~” Alfred purred, his breath too warm and much too close. “-Is, what did you do? You got what you wanted. You struck a deal with me. What you are feeling right now is my magic.” A cold hand went to rest over Ivan’s heart. He could feel it all through his thin and ripped up tunic. It chilled him there.  “The contract is burning into you. Doesn’t it just feel divine? It feels like we’re bonding somehow.” Ivan grunted and clenched his jaw. His entire body felt uncomfortably hot and his vision was swimming. The stars behind his eyes were in a jumble- bouncing around the cosmos chaotically without alleviating any of the nausea.

While it felt like hell on Ivan’s end it really did feel like heaven’s outer reaches to Alfred. He relished in the pleasure that it gave him. His bargaining magicks had been itching to be used for so long. He finally had Ivan in his grasp and man did it feel _good._ He couldn’t help but shudder- the tips of his tail curling inwards pleasantly as he hefted Ivan closer to his chest and into the embrace of his arms. He grinned against Ivan’s neck which bobbed with spasms as Ivan kept swallowing between gasps for air. His breaths came out quick and were loud enough in the still night to overpower the constant thrum of the sea.

It was hard to figure how long Ivan spent struggling in the throes of foreign magick as it seemed to violate his very will. Time seemed more drawn out the longer he spent in his own private hell. His eyes burned so hot he was certain that he’d go blind. His body ached and he broke out into sweats. A venomous fire stung along the synapses in his nerves. A firearm igniting pain with every pull of the trigger. He yelled as it ripped through flesh and bone. It stuck like tar to his insides

Finally, the last waves would etch into his being. He felt something within his soul snap.  Then he knew. He’d signed himself to the devil. Dread made its home in his gut as he became hyperaware of the merman lethargically nuzzling into his back and neck. He groaned and blinked away the minimal wetness in his eyes. Now his uncle would surely die because of his stupidity. He should’ve never went out to sea.

“You tricked me.” He ground out bitterly- too tired to move from Alfred’s seat.

Alfred stilled in his actions. Trick? Did he trick him now? He really didn’t like it when Ivan played these little blame games with him. Was Ivan stupid? Did he pick one that wasn’t right in the head? Apparently humans became more naïve as they got older. Maybe they got careless.

            Oh, now he got it. Ivan thought himself clever didn’t he. So he was rather intelligent; yet, his intelligence was so poorly executed. A downright shame if you asked him.

            “Were you thinking of escaping now, my brainy little human?” Alfred said disparagingly. “Aww…how cute.” He cooed as Ivan growled at him. “You thought you could outsmart me who has lived for hundreds of years without knowing a single think about magick. Cocky aren’t you?” Ivan didn’t humor him with a response and Alfred laughed loudly.

            “Surprised? That makes two of us. I actually thought you knew what you were doing for a second there. You are very intelligent, but it doesn’t go far when you have no knowledge of a matter beyond your understanding.” Alfred smiled to himself as he rapped his knuckles on Ivan’s head wryly. It made a hollow sound like a coconut.

Ivan had stopped; irritated by Alfred’s sardonic humor. He settled for a pensive stare at the dark. He looked out; hearing the calming yet eerie motions of the ocean that were so familiar to him. He thought at once about nothing and everything, and gave no attention to the practiced hands that carded through hair and occasionally scratched over his scalp pleasantly. Soon, his body would be lulled into a fitful sleep by the weights of exhaustion. Dragging him downward back into his subconscious and closer to Alfred’s clutches.

Alfred let out a long exhale as Ivan’s breath evened out. He was in too uncomfortable of a position to sleep both mentally and physically. He let the hand that had frozen in Ivan’s light hair to fall to the cool sand as he plowed miniature fields into it. The nice course grain of beach sand felt soothing against his skin- dry as it was. It clung to his smooth skin lightly like a batter, and collected underneath his pointed fingernails. The motions became something nearly robotic to him until he just settled to burrow them underneath to meet even chiller earth.

He was playing a dangerous game, both Ivan and him. He knew it too. Alfred could not tell, or really cared, whether or not Ivan knew the extent of their taboo.

“Triton,” He muttered. “I’ve done something stupid.” His breath shook slightly as he laughed quietly to himself. “Oh, I’m a disease aren’t I?” He mused to himself as his eyes became clouded with nostalgia. Dark memories resurfacing. He let them steal away at him for now. Drain him of something he both didn’t want but missed dearly- his humanity.

Something he had so treasured in his youth. It was alive and he had nurtured it and he had destroyed it- annihilated its presence. Blue eyes so much like his own-but kinder. Were those once his?

He crashed back into reality when Ivan shivered as a cold island gale blew past them. Caressing their bodies with wispy, smoke arms before curling away. Forever lost until it circulated the earth once more to return and repeat and caress and touch and go and return and repeat and go.

It drifted away- sweeping up some sand and driftwood. Even in the dark Alfred could feel the rough sand buffet his skin and he closed his eyes hoping for once that time would run out. That the bronzed sand in his own hourglass would finally drift from its source at the top to rest at the bottom. At least, until someone flipped it once more.

 [MK1]Alfred actually does have the ability to grant wishes. He doesn’t do it for personal reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Chapter two is up! The next chapter will come up shortly. How do you like Alfred? Isn't he quite the charmer. Ivan's going to be okay, trust me! Next time on TF&TM: Coming to surface. (Also, please tell me if the notes work and if you like them. They are like little sparklines that don't really influence the story. More like trivia and cuts.


	3. Coming to Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Home is where the heart lies. Home is not a place.

            Cotton had taken root in his mouth overnight. He could see the reddish glow of his veins from his closed eyes as sunlight diffused through his heavy eyelids. His skin felt drier than usual and he could feel the sand drift off as he groggily moved up into a sitting position. The wind must have stirred him. He felt sick. His nose still stung of stagnant seawater and his body was so robbed of moisture it could be directly sealed in a sarcophagus and preserved for the next millennium.

Damn that humanoid fish. He had never been so close to death in his life. Even now, he could feel Death's bony fingers creeping like a haze over his skin and mind. He tried to open his eyes, but to no avail. They had become so puffed up that the lids could barely give way to a sliver of his surroundings. To his surprise, he did not see a cloudy blue sky, but a small expanse of texture-less white which flickered darkly as his eyes struggled to stay open. Where was the sky? Where was the sun?

He sat up slowly, one arm after the other shifting and bending at odd angles from either side of him to act as leverage against the worn sheets and the relatively thin mattress beneath. The cogs in his brain began processing all of the information slowly. The data ran through his head several times. Often coming in one ear and out the other. Thin mattress, old blankets, no sky, no Alfred. It just didn't seem to be going through. His body acted for him.

            Ivan got up at a leisurely place; standing on his bed and wobbling on stilt legs before shuffling off the dilapidated bedding which rose only a few inches off the ground at most. His legs groaned in a language all their own as they directed Ivan to some particularly important destination. The slits that served as his window to the world did not take note of the ugly, small coffee table. Not the ancient rocking chair that sung softly when sat upon, nor the sole greyscale picture that rested like a jewel atop the dusty bureau. There were four happy people etched into that picture.

No, Ivan still paid no mind. He walked right past everything and into a room that smelled of sickness and life undermined. There Ivan's uncle lay asleep marked by deep snoring. Finally, his mind caught up to him and the corner of his lips turned up into a warm smile while suffering the aftermath of red fissures from being so stripped of wetness.

            He decided to go to the bathroom to freshen up. His body felt like an old rag that had been used and wrung out thousands of times before being forgotten on the clothing line. Tough feet met the wooden floorboards of the washroom and he automatically shed his stiff clothing. First his shred up tunic, then his worn shorts. The subtle sound of sand falling on the wood flooring and sticky clothing being separated from skin crowded in his ears like soft static. Slightly unpleasant but pleasant in the way familiar things felt underneath. He caught his gaze in the old bronze mirror and stopped. The antique mirror, often just slightly bent and shined to the stars, looked even more blackened and dilapidated than usual- a blatant sign of prolonged neglect. 

            Had he been in public, the common passerby would have avoided him at first sight. He was only just easing into his late teens but his appearance found the illusion of one of those grumpy old men children always shied away from. There were remnants of broken seashell bits and sand dust sticking to the crack and crevices of his skin; atop his shoulder blades and swept across the apples of his cheeks. With both hands, he quickly dusted what he could off- it was mildly irritating though most of it was instinctual; much in the way that bears will hibernate through harsh winters. He was careful not to press on the freshly made rust-blackened scabs that covered obvious claw marks. The skin around the area was red with irritation. He restrained himself from scratching and irritating it further. It took more will power than necessary and he ended up picking some of them apart. He licked his red cracked lips. Even his spit couldn't revive them. He noted belatedly that his teeth felt fuzzy and tasted fowl. Stubborn eyelids hid away dry eyes for now. He stopped itching like a madman for a second to draw water into the bathing basin.

              A weak pump slowly siphoned water out of the brackish well and Ivan was left to his thoughts. He thought just as a fish swims in an aquarium. Pushing hard and going nowhere. Or bumping into barriers and killing itself. He slid his hand through his hair and grumbled when it tangled immediately and caught in the gaps. Though he couldn't afford absolute cleanliness at all times, he hated nothing quite as much as greasy, knotted, sandpaper hair. He cursed as he troubled himself with disentangling while the wash basin overflowed almost on cue.

            "God damn him!" He seethed as he rushed to cut off the siphon. The pump quieted with a tapering thrum and he huffed in exasperation.   


            Ivan groaned as he sunk into the bath. The displaced water flowed out and hit the wood with a harsh _slap!_ He thanked whatever god above that the basin was large enough to accommodate him. If he curled up enough his body from the waist down would be hugged by clean, calming water. It rushed over his limbs and took away encrusted sea salt and sand with them. They dispersed into the water magically like smoke; running from his surface like steam. The water was soothing and cool against his skin and he tried to soak up as much of it as he could. Water was one of the healing elements. It kissed wounds, expunged filth and disease, washed away exhaustions with each gentle blow, and tempered fiery thoughts...memories. Just as sugar melts in stirred water he became indistinguishable from the bath. 

           Ivan marveled as he slid his hands through the water. The surface swirled and dimpled with the most minuscule of disturbances before returning to a soft undulation. He grabbed for a dented tin bowl near the side of the basin and reveled in the old familiarity of bruised metal. Ivan dipped the bowl into the bathwater. More water made its escape from the borders from the tub. He didn't concern himself with it. The sluice would carry it away. 

           The periodic burble of water refilling a tin bowl echoed in the small bathroom and was a welcome change from the usual buzz of silence. He brought his sun-branded arm over his head and sighed in contentment as water rushed over him continuously…endlessly. Threading through his now wet ashen hair, sliding off his broad shoulders, slipping over each arm and cascading around and through the valley between his shoulder blades before it pooled back into the basin at a trickle. 

         Ivan sighed in contentment. He couldn't even think straight. A moment of perfect solitude, it seemed too good to be his own reality. For a few good seconds he humored himself. Perhaps Alfred’s contract had done more than give him an aneurism.

            As he perpetually gathered and poured water over himself he couldn’t help but to begin feeling tired. He was absolutely exhausted from yesterday’s events, and needed shelter from his faults. At some point the cloudy waters stopped falling and movement slowed to a viscous slide. Just as a tortoise retreats into its home, Ivan shut his eyes to the world.

…

             Alfred swam lazily through the water. He twisted his midriff and turned around in the drift letting his tail toss around as it pleased. A dolphin confusedly swam beside him- a young lone male who he favored for his energy. The dolphin tried to mimic Alfred and he sighed.

            “Not right now Alpha, I don’t think I’m feeling up to it today.” Alpha clicked in reply. “Right, I suppose you can’t understand me when I use my mouth.” He lazily signaled Alpha away for the time being. His blond hair blew to one side as his play mate kicked off roughly- losing interest in his dull friend quickly.

            Nothing seemed appealing to Alfred. In his hundreds of years of living, never had he felt that he was purposely wasting his life. Maybe he shouldn’t have returned Ivan after all.

           …But, then he would feel bad. ‘At least you would be entertained’ his mind offered. “Shut up.” He said out loud to nothing in particular. Perhaps this isolation was affecting his state of mind. Was a state of mind even important to maintain? Stupid questions. Stuuupid questions. He blew a raspberry. Bubbles escaped from his mouth and hastily escaped to the surface. Huh, it sounds better on land.

              “Triton, am I at fault? If you are angry it’s best to smite me now. Make me touch some poisonous sea design of yours or worse, curse me with those horrible fish that like to bite the ends of my tails.” Alfred waited and laughed to himself as he turned to the lighter ocean above him. He wasn’t much of a spiritual person and Triton had not come around here for decades.

            He caught a phantom in his peripherals and reflexively made a quick turn. What he saw made him gasp in absolute delight.

            “Waahhh!!! Jellyfish!” Jellyfish were the greatest creations of God. And if not god, they were nature at its best and brightest! Alfred nearly chimed in delight as it floated near him. This one could swim; however slow it seemed to mosey on. The short fiber-like tentacles would pulse in and out from the center of its bulbous body as it hurried off to wherever. There were hundreds of glowing beads that ran in lines from the middle of its hat.

           If Alfred’s eyes weren’t so accustomed to water he would have swam right through it. Jellyfish were truly the spider’s webs of the sea but 200% pleasanter.

           He cupped it in his outstretched hands gently and guided it with care closer to his face. Even his tail tried to curl around it. He wanted it to feel safe and sound. Sea Jellies were the gentlest creatures he had ever known. Most weren’t even very poisonous and he was generally immune to them anyway. If he was ever reborn, Alfred would want to be reborn as a jelly. The prettiest and gentlest guardians of the sea.

              Alfred brought it close to his face so the tentacles would feather over his cheeks like butterfly kisses. He closed his eyes for a second and enjoyed the fuzzy pricks of its stingers tasting him.

            He wanted to feel this content every second. The ocean’s wind cruising around his skin like silk curtains and the gentle brush of thin hands against his palms and face… But, keeping jellyfish to himself was a cruelty. Even he knew that. The spirits of the sea deserve freedom because it’s all they have. With a sigh, he released the peaceful creature back into the turbulence of the seas.

           For a few seconds it fought the will of the sea, pulsing in the other direction after him. Then a drift caught in its cap like a parachute and like smoke it dissipated.

           Now, without the gentle caress of distraction, Alfred could feel the strange tug of his magicks on him again. In truth, he wasn’t very good at making contracts and the farther his influence was spread, the sicker he felt. As he swam, his stomach churned sickly. He groaned and closed his eyes. If Ivan was in water at the moment, he would be able to visit him… Then, he might feel better. But, if he wasn’t in water, he would just end up sickening himself further.

_Was the risk really worth taking?_ He’d always been reckless from the moment he could swim freely. This time was no different. Alfred eased his body into a state of dormancy and sought out Ivan through the traces of his magick left on him. Like soap in water, his body melted and dissipated into the sea. The fading colors spread themselves thin until he found himself to be one with the sea; the water no different from his body.

       Like a dream, he felt himself get tugged away until he found himself miles away.

        Ivan shivered as he felt something throb inside him. He paused to stop drying his hair as he heard the water in the wash basin slosh behind him suddenly. As he turned around what he saw shocked him. The water felt evil. It pulsed once, changing to a darker color reminiscent of a stormy sea. Foam rose up from the basin as the water sloshed, forming a humanoid yet inhuman appearance. First it had just been a column of foam, but it began to smooth and solidify. Arms grew out of it like dead willow branches.

       Ivan didn’t know whether to run or fight. The thing felt truly evil, and though it lacked eyes it seemed to be looking right at him. Before he could think to take a step back, the thing smiled at him sinisterly. It seemed to twist back painfully before righting itself again.

“ _Ivan…”_ It breathed out, pausing to catch its breath. “ _It’s time to go now.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be the last quick update for a while, but we will be getting to some more plot soon. It's kind of confusing but the puzzles will fit someday. Kudos and Comments make the Littlenaga happy. But I can take a hit. Tell me what you think in the comments belooow.

**Author's Note:**

> My, my, my! Another long series by yours truly. I enjoy dark mermaid interpretations and play with it myself. Updates will be sluggish since I'll be in college but I'll try my best. Comments are appreciated. The original story can be found at my ff.net where I am known as Li-Naga. I just adore merfred. This story might get heavy as it goes, just a subtle warning.


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